The “Greenhouse Effect” is the common name given to global warming. The effect is named so due to its similarities to the function of a greenhouse. Heat from the sun is allowed into our atmosphere, and then bounces off of the Earth and heads back out to space. But now that we have a wall of Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and CFC’s, the sun’s heat rays bounce back towards the Earth. The continuous burning of fossil fuels and the rain forests is causing excess amounts of carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide acts as the walls of a greenhouse that encompasses the whole world, trapping heat into the atmosphere. The thickening of the blanket is causing more heat to be trapped resulting in the warming of the earth. One great example of the Greenhouse Effect is the planet Venus. Venus’s atmosphere had a thick layer of CO2, giving the planet’s surface a temperature warm enough to melt lead. So What Does All This “Greenhouse” Stuff Have To Do With Me? As the temperatures rise, the waters get warmer and begin the melting rocess of the polar ice caps (Popular Science).
Long term predictions of Global warming say that the melting of the polar ice caps will continue causing ocean waters to rise, resulting in massive coastal flooding of major cities such as Los Angeles and Miami. If the next century’s warming stays at a low end of estimates, the consequences are likely to be mild. But if warming reaches the middle or top estimates, we are likely to see such things as more frequent and more intense heat waves, increased flooding, and droughts in different areas.
Not to mention the 60,000,000 migrants that would be caused if only 1% of our future population had to seek higher ground. This many migrants would help to further our already crowded cities, and take more jobs and require health care. Diseases such as malaria and other insect borne ailments will have an expanded range if the tropics continue to warm. If conditions change faster than species can adapt, many, many, many animals will become extinct (World Book). So What Am I Supposed To About All These Man Made Disasters?
Become knowledgeable about the subject of global warming. Recognize that global warming may worsen and prepare yourself and others for it. Help inform others of the problem, and write letters to large companies and your government. Lots of people don’t even know about global warming, and most that do are underestimating its possible effect. Renew the search for safe and clean alternatives to fossil fuels and alternatives to transportation (Global Climate Change). The most important thing you can do is care enough to try to make a difference.
